The T1 world is changing

It is amazing how the world is changing when it comes to being able to feel as if your not alone. For the first 18 or so years, other than a 5 days at a camp, I was the only T1 in my circle of family and friends. The ability to find support groups or people to have common discussions was impossible. The ability to feel like you were not the odd one out was non existent. Actually it probably around however seeing as there are only 122,300 T1D's in Australia and probably less back then there was no one nearby and no way of finding anyone even if there was.

Today my daughter has a diabetes team headed by and paediatric endocrinologist. When I was diagnosed I saw a paediatrician who knew a little about T1. More of a generalist rather than a specialist.

The first T1D I met was by chance really. She was a friend of a friend and we only knew we were T1D because our friend pointed it out. From there I began volunteering on teenage camps where I met some of my good friends who are also T1D and this was the time I realised that with people who go through the same life is the way to feel normal. To chat about what we do on a day to basis and to know exactly what each other is saying is one of the best feelings of my life. Finally I am not alone!

Technology is also making a massive difference. I now have groups across the world of people who live the same life and understanding. Also groups of parents having to deal with the same situations that my wife are dealing with by having a child with this disease. These groups allow you to ask questions and help people who just need someone to listen and understand. For the child T1D's they will grow up not feeling like they have to battle the war alone.

Tomorrow we head out with a lot of other T1D's and their families on the T1D walk for a cure. Hopefully the money raised will take us one step closed to the cure we are all waiting for. The ability to bring a number of T1's together will be another day of normality even though there will be a lot of non T1's you will be able to look left and right and see kids and adults with pumps and metres and you know that when you have to do a test ther will only be understanding rather than a strange look of fear and questioning why?